Method of web printing



No'v.14;1933. M; EL' 1,934,775

METHOD OF WEB PRINTING Original Filed May 2, 1950 s g g\ a N q C; R E gINVENTOR.

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Patented 44, 1933 PATENT orFmE METHOD OF WEB PRINTING Max Stoessel,Ridgewood, -N. 1., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Shellmar'Products-Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 2,1930, Serial No. 449,309

Renewed July 24, 1933- 5 Claims. (01. 101-211) This invention relates toan improved method a for use in the printing of webs, or continuouslengths of material.

In particular an object of my invention is to 5 print transparentmaterial, like cellophane, now in use to wrap a great variety ofmerchandise. This material as ordinarily used is very thin and notadapted to be handled in sheets over sheet fed printing presses.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a method of producing anoverlay during the printing of the material, and at the same time avoidthe difficulties which are customary in attempting this type of work.

As an example of a use to which my invention can be'applied I cite thecellophane wrapper used in wrapping cigars. The ordinary practice is touse unprinted wrappers, and to use the customary cigar band. By the useof my invention it becomes possible and commercially practical to printon the cellophane wrapper an exact replica of a cigar band and thus savenot only a large portion of the cost of these bands but the expense ofapplying the "bands to the cigars. It

might be well to point out here that these'bands are applied by hand andsome of the large manufacturers of cigars produce over one millioncigars daily.

My improved method comprises the initial printing with an ink, lacquer,or equivalent substance of a visible design called a primary design andimmediately thereafter printing directly on top of said visible primarydesign one or more additional visible designs, usually in d1!- 85 ferentcolors. The vehicle or solvent used in compounding the ink forming theprimary design is of such a nature that -it will not mix with thevehicle or solvent used in the inks forming the subsequent designs. a

40 The following description of an apparatus adapted to carry out myimproved method is included in this specification only as an example ofa device having the necessary functions. It will be understood that I amnot limited to the described apparatus but my invention can be carriedout with other apparatus having equivalent functions.

In the drawing Fig. 1 represents a general view of the. apparatus usedto carry out my improved Referring to Fig. 1, like reference numeralsrep-' resent like parts. Reference numeral 4is the web of material beingprinted on. 5 is the frame of the machine. A supply roll 6 of materialto be printed is supported at one end of the machine.

Mounted on the frame 5 is the printing assembly 7 preferably of thegravure type and comprises a plate cylinder 8 and an impression cylinder9. Contacting with the plate cylinder 8 is thecoating roll 10 operatingin the fountain 11. The scraper l2 removes the surplus ink or lacquerfrom the gravure plate.

Mounted on the frame 5 are the printing assemblies 13, 14 and 15. Eachof these assemblies comprise a plate cylinder 16, an impression cylinder17, an ink fountain 18 and the usual complement of oscillating,vibrating and distributing rolls necessary to ink the printing plates.

Mounted on the frame 5 is the slitting assembly 19 for use if it isdesired to slit the web 4 into narrower strips, such as are required forcigar wrapping machines. A series of feedrolls 20 are I provided tomaintain the proper tension on the web. The rollers 21, 22, 23 and "24are used to permit looping of the web and drying of the inks beforewinding on the roll 25.

A blower 26 is provided to assist in cooling and I drying the inkforming the primary design.

Suitable gearing is provided to operate the machine but since thedetails of this mechanism are not pertinent to the invention describedand claimed in this application, I have neither enumerated nordescribedsame in this specification.

The novel features of the apparatus shown are more fully described in myco-pending application, Serial No. 449,310.

The operation is as follows The web of material to be printed is takenfrom the supply roll 6, passes around suitable guide rollers and overthe impression cylinder 8 of the gravure printing assembly. At thispoint the primary design is applied and I prefer to use a lacquer whichuses an alcohol as a fluid medium. If it is desired to print a replicaof a cigar band on the material the primary design which is applied bythe printing assembly '7 would ordinarily consist of a solid colorbackground, the outline of which will be in the shape of the cigar band.In many cases a solid white background would be used.

Passing from the printing assembly '7 the webis guided through theprinting assembly 13 and on through assemblies 14 and 15. Additionalcolors not miscible with the fluid medium'used in the first printingassembly and consequently'there would be no running or blending of theinks.

The printing assemblies making use of the same type of ink, in diilerentcolors, would be equipped with registering plates, to avoid mixture ofcolors.

It is quite possible, though seldom necessary or desirable, -to use morethan two types of inks in printing one complete design. Thus, a watersoluble gravure ink might be used for the primary design in assembly 10,an alcohol-soluble lacquer be used in assembly 16 and inks with an oilvehicle in assemblies 17 and 18.

It might be well to point out that one outstanding advantage of myimproved method is the fine result obtained when printing on transparentmaterial, such as cellophane. The primary design in this case serves asa background, and it printed with opaque ink causes the additionalprinting to stand out and be far more legible.

In Fig. 2, there is illustrated diagrammatically I a sheet or web uponwhich primary and secondary designs are printed in, accordance with mymethod. Self-explanatory legends designate the I claim:' 1. The methodof printing on a desired surfac which comprises printing a visibleprimary denamed medium. K

uous web passing through a machine, which comprises printing a visibleprimary design on said web with one type of ink having a certain fluidmedium during the passage of the web through one printing assembly, andimmediately thereafter visibly printing directly on said visible primarydesign with a different type of ink having a diil'ere'nt fluid mediumnot miscible with the first named medium during the passage 01' the webthrough a second printing assembly.

3. The method of printing on a moving continuous web, which comprisesprinting a visible primary design with an ink compounded with one typeof fluid-medium, and immediately thereafter printing a second visibledesign directly on said primary design with an ink compounded with adifferent type of fluid-medium not miscible with the fluid-medium usedin printing the pri mary design.

e. The method of printing which comprises the printing of a visibleprimary design with a primary fluid-medium, and immediately thereaftersuperimposing a visible design on said primary design by the use of adiilerent fluid-medium which will not mix with said primaryfiuid-medium.

5. The method of printing on material, such as cellophane, having aglossy surface, which comprises printing a visible primary design with afluid-medium, and printing avisible design on said primary design with adifierent fluid-medium not miscible with said first fluid-medium.

mix STOESSEL.

2. The method of printing on a moving contin-g.

